Recognizing Anxiety in Students

By Dawn Marie Sicurelli
EDI 15A: Psychological Perspective: Teaching & Learning

College of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post

September , 2010

Great teachers are those who get to know their students, recognize issues and help students overcome obstacles to become better learners. I believe that an educator must create a bond of trust in order to enhance learning. In my experience, teaching and learning skills are most effective when a student has confidence, trust, and feels comfortable. Anxiety is very common in both children and adult learners.

Anxiety is the uneasiness, apprehension, or nervousness felt by students who have a fear of failure. Anxiety may be due to the association of grades with personal worth, fear of embarrassment by a teacher, fear of disapproval from parents or friends, time pressures, or feeling a loss of control. Symptoms of anxiety may be sweating, dizziness, headaches, racing heartbeats, nausea, and restlessness.

The importance of a teacher recognizing if a student is experiencing anxiety is of utmost importance. Educators must understand that anxiety is something that everyone may feel now and then and if addressed properly can make the difference between a student passing or failing a course. For example: last semester I had a math professor who recognized I had anxiety. He helped me overcome it by building trust and confidence by always taking a little extra time to answer my questions. If he did not care enough to recognize and address my anxiety, I would not have passed the course.

Although I am not a psychologist, I am very aware of how anxiety affects learning because I suffer with anxiety. When I get overwhelmed with life, I become very anxious and it is almost impossible for me to concentrate. I feel like I am in a cloud and have no control of my surroundings. I experience dizziness, headaches, and get indigestion. My anxiety with school is mainly because I am pressed for time. I am a mother, wife, cook, housekeeper, employee and student. I am an overachiever and terribly afraid of failure. I especially fear disapproval from my family. I taught myself meditation techniques to help me relax, and try to exercise daily basis to stay focused.

As a health care provider, I do my best to help patients overcome anxiety to help them achieve optimum health. As a professor, I will do my best to recognize and address any issues that may be affecting a student’s education.

“Instruction is about connecting content with human beings,

sharing ideas that matter with people who matter.

When we connect with a student, we know that student

in enough depth to see his or her vulnerabilities and

to see how our teaching can contribute to that student’s well-being.”

Carol Ann Tomlinson,2007 (Goodman G. 2010)



Bibliography

Goodman G.(2010). Educational Psychology Reader: The Art and Science of How people Learn (Educational psychology: Critical pedagogical Perspectives). New York: Peter Lang publication. P.681 The Self in Teaching and learning

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